New Principal Announced for Granada High

LIVERMORE, CA: Superintendent Kelly Bowers announced Thursday that PJ Daley will take the lead at Granada High School as Philomena Rambo moves to the District Office to serve as the Director of Programs and Partnerships, effective July 1, 2016.

“Mr. Daley and Ms. Rambo are two of our most respected and skilled administrators and I am looking forward to seeing their continued growth and contributions to student success in these new roles,” says Superintendent Kelly Bowers.

Daley is “ecstatic” to return to Granada High School, where he served as Vice Principal for his first three years in the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District. During his tenure as Vice Principal, Daley was in charge of curriculum, testing, instructional technology, activities, athletics, facilities, and the Associated Student Body (ASB).

Daley attended UC Santa Barbara for his undergraduate degree where he majored in History and minored in Athletic Coaching. He received his Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from San Jose State, along with an Administrative Credential.

For the past three years, Daley has successfully served as Principal of Altamont Creek Elementary School. Under his guidance and leadership, the school has thrived and is a finalist for distinction as a California Gold Ribbon School in 2016, due in part to its award-winning STEM program. Daley was also a nominee for the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Elementary Principal of the year, is the District’s Rotary Principal of the Year for 2015-16 and is a nominee for the President’s Award/Livermore Management Association’s Administrator of the Year.

Over Daley’s six years with LVJUSD, he has taken on increased responsibilities. He has been an integral part of the District Policy Committee and was the driving force behind adopting new graduation requirements for the LVJUSD. He also has served on the District Technology Team, Back-to-School Kickoff Planning Committee, and District Negotiations Team for Certificated Staff. He has led professional development on topics such as A Complaint Free World. Additionally, Daley has served on various interview panels for the District for several positions including administrators, classified secretaries, and maintenance workers, as his opinion is highly valued. He is one of the District’s key personnel recruiters, attending Recruitment Fairs sponsored by LVJUSD Human Resources as well as regionally. While serving as a Vice Principal at Granada High School, he also was Summer School Principal for two years to hone his skills before becoming Principal at Altamont Creek.

“I’ve absolutely loved my time at Altamont Creek and feel honored to have been part of such an amazing school and community. I am confident the LVJUSD will hire a high caliber principal for Altamont who will build upon the strong foundation we have in place. Returning to Granada High School as Principal is truly a dream come true. The school and community hold a special place in my heart and I cannot wait to get to work and continue in the Granada Pride tradition,” said Daley.

Rambo has been the principal at Granada High School for the past 6 years, and prior to that role, she served the Granada community as both teacher and Vice Principal. Under her leadership, Granada celebrated its 50th anniversary and attained new levels of excellence. In February 2016, Granada was authorized as an International Baccalaureate World School. Granada was named a Gold Ribbon School in 2015, due in large part to its work on developing a school-wide intervention and enrichment program. Rambo has also supported the development of Engineering and Computer Science Pathways at Granada, working with Project Lead the Way to implement 21st-century learning opportunities for Granada students.

Principal Rambo led the development of a Co-Teaching Program to support Special Education students. and she has partnered with Stanford University to bring the Challenge Success program to Granada, encouraging staff and families to support student wellness and balance.

Rambo said, “I have thoroughly enjoyed working alongside of the Granada staff and community these past 10 years. I will invest my knowledge and experience in my new role to support, expand and enhance communications, educational opportunities, specialized programs and partnerships for the students and staff of the entire Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District.”

Rambo has already served the District through her work on the Policy Committee, the Tri-Valley Educational Collaborative, and the GATE Committee. She served as High School Summer School Principal for two years. She has fostered partnerships with Las Positas College, the Pedrozzi Foundation, the Livermore Valley Rotary Club, and the Equal Opportunity Schools Program. Before becoming a District administrator, Rambo co-chaired the successful Measure D Parcel Tax campaign, and is proud to have led the effort that allowed the return of counselors and science specialists to the District. In 2009, she received the “School Counselor Advocate of the Year” Award from the California Association of School Counselors.

Rambo graduated summa cum laude from UC Davis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. She earned her teaching credential through the Bay Area Writing Project at UC Berkeley, and she earned her Masters in Educational Leadership degree as well as her administrative credential through Cal State East Bay. Her children are graduates of Livermore High School, and all have gone on to higher education.

Daley and Rambo are both excited about their new roles and appreciate the opportunity to serve the Livermore community in new ways. Please join the District in celebrating and supporting them in their upcoming leadership roles.

Announcement, photos submitted by Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District